Free Apps for Fitness Fans

The closest thing I have to a cell phone is a $20 Tracfone. Sadly there are no fitness apps available for a poor soul like me who doesn’t have something cool like an iPhone or a BlackBerry. I do my best to find free tools online to help me reach fitness goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

So, this weekend I got lost while running in CT. Once I found my way back to my sister’s house I had no idea how many miles I ran. My brother in-law recommended using MapMyRun, a website that allows you to plot out routes for running (or walking and biking). It was convenient to be able to figure out how many miles I had done without getting in my car and driving it.

It got me thinking about other free tools online, like Meetup. Meetup allows you to search for groups of people with common interests in your area. If you are looking for a walking club, hiking group, or a role playing group that allows you to fight imaginary monsters with plastic swords (what I found in my area), you’re in business with Meetup.

Mallory Peterson, one of our Fitness Specialists at our women’s weight loss center, reminded me that Pandora is also another great source for free fitness music. We found some fun Zumba tunes for those Zumba fans out there!

Jennifer Ricupero, head of our fitness department, recommended Geocaching and Letterboxing websites. Searching for a cache or letterbox is an exciting way to get some exercise while having fun at the same time.

I’ve loved using free Podcasts off iTunes for fitness music. If you are looking for music in a certain beats-per-minute range there are fitness music podcasts that organize music by bpm. This article on Exercise Pacing & Use of Music has a useful chart that categorizes bpm by miles per hour. I’ve also used a free download of software to analyze your iTunes library for bpm. There really is a lot of fun free stuff out there if you just look.

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About the Author

Marsha Hudnall, MS, RDN, CD

If you’re looking for an embodiment of dedication disguised as obsession, look no further. Marsha is a registered dietitian who has spent the last four decades working to help women give up dieting rules and understand how to truly take care of themselves. Her mission in life is to help women learn to enjoy eating and living well, without worries about their weight. She encourages women to embrace their love of food, which you might call being a foodie. If so, it’s appropriate because being a foodie means you pay attention when you eat. That’s a recipe made in heaven for eating well. Marsha is the President and Co-Owner of Green Mountain at Fox Run.